RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Draft Target Mid-Late Rounds in all Leagues
CURRENT ADP: 376
ANALYSIS: Having just gotten his feet wet in his first full year in the big leagues, Robbie Ray of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks poised to fulfill the potential that made him a consensus top 100 prospect during most of his time in the minors this coming season. With an undervalued projected ADP of 424 (per fantasypros.com) and explosive stuff, look for the young southpaw to be a late steal in your draft.
Ray finished 2015 making 23 starts, tossing 127.2 innings and achieving a 3.52 ERA in the process. His 3.53 FIP confirms the fact that his ERA and ability to limit runs was no fluke and while his 5-12 record may look like a red flag on paper, it is important to note that he received virtually no run support during his stint in the majors this past season. Furthermore, the 116 ERA+ he accumulated just goes to show he can hang around with the big guns in the majors.
There were plenty of reasons for Ray's success in the 2015, but the main one has to be the fact that he can flat out bring it. Ray was able to maintain a sparkling 8.4 K/9 ratio this past season due in large part to the fact that he averaged 93.3 MPH on his fastball, a very impressive return for a left-hander. On top of his fastball, he possesses a wipeout slider that serves as his primary outpitch as well as a slower curveball and the occasional changeup to keep hitters off balance.
Ray is just entering his age 24 season and is projected to move comfortably into Arizona's number four slot in their rotation in 2016, which should take a considerable amount of pressure off of him. Definitely look for him to bring the heat at Chase Field and be sure to keep him in mind as a nice option during the later parts of your draft.
